Comics Corner: The Amazing Spider-Man 246

   

Title: The Amazing Spider-Man
Issue Number: 246
Release Date: November 1983

Highlights

• Watcher opens the story talking about the dreams of people, foreshadowing the story
• Spider-Man comes to Felicia in the hospital, bringing her Black Cat costume for a night out in the city
• Black Cat and Spider-Man are paid $500,000.00 for helping steal a set of foreign documents
• Spider-Man reveals himself to Black Cat, showing that he's really Cary Grant
• Spider-Man antagonizes J. Jonah Jameson, saying that the Daily Bugle wouldn't even exist if it weren't for him giving them news to write about
• J. Jonah Jameson beats the tar out of Spider-Man until he concedes that The Bugle, and free press give more to the city than he, Spider-Man, ever could
• The entire Bugle staff cheers as Jonah knocks Spider-Man out, all while Peter Parker takes the photos
• Mary Jane Watson is headed for a show with a date, only to find it's her name on the marquee advertising her story as a show coming soon
• People are waiting in line six months in advance to get tickets
• Mary Jane decides to play herself in the play, only to be approached by her sister, saddled with two kids, reminding her not to forget to have a role for her since acting is what she always wanted to do
• Reference is made to The Avengers 236. and 237
• Spider-Man sees J. Jonah Jameson being by everyone from his rogues gallery, all at once, and swings into action
• Before fighting, Spider-Man throws his small camera, which transformers into a massive 35mm camera with an extended lense and tripod
• J. Jonah Jameson watches in awe as Spider-Man fights everyone despite him being such a jerk to the hero
• Jameson literally kisses Spider-Man's feet, swearing he'll make a public apology for all he's said, which he then does
• Peter Parker wins the Pulitzer Prize for his photos of Jameson kissing his feet
• Dr. Sloan brusts in on the award ceremony and tells Peter the university is granting him an automatic doctorate degree because the experiment he left behind when quitting school is curing "everything"
• Spider-Man is given the key to the city, and multiple heroes are there to see it happen
• Spider-Man is made a full fledged Avenger, but Thing tells Iron Man to forget it because they want him in the Fantastic Four
• Spider-Man provides a compromise that he'll be an Avenger Monday through Wednesday, and part of the Fantastic Four Thursday through Saturday, taking Sunday for himself
• All of the above, if you haven't caught on, were the daydreams of all those involved
• After being jarred from his daydream, Spider-Man sees a skinny "nerd" being bullied by some kids who take his glasses, and knock his books on the ground
• Spider-Man scares the bullies off, gives the kid some advice to enjoy reading, but not forget about the real world
• The kid, seeing Spider-Man goes into his own daydream of being Spider-Man
• The story is its own fun "What If"

Low Points

• None

Oddities

• None

Rating (based on a 1 through 5 Stans grading system)

Click "HERE" to go back to the home page. For more posts related to this one, please click the labels below.

Just Doodling - Chip 'N Dale Rescue Rangers

Click "HERE" to go back to the home page. For more posts related to this one, please click the labels below.

Retro Spins: Ozzy Osbourne - No Rest For The Wicked

 

Today, I finish up my 80's journey through Ozzy Osbourne. If there's one thing that baffles me, it's that despite having their contributions negated, and a loss of credit and royalties as a result, several artists continued to come back to the Osbourne well.

Guitarist Jake E. Lee, who for some reason came back after 1983's Bark At The Moon to be part of 1986's The Ultimate Sin, was replaced by Zakk Wylde for No Rest For The Wicked. Bassist Bob Daisley, who came and went throughout Ozzy's earlier albums, sometimes being fired, would return for the album, but then be fired again. He'd be replaced by Black Sabbath bassist, Geezer Butler for subsequent touring.

While I dig a lot of tracks on No Rest For The Wicked, what particularly stands out for me is the groundwork it lays for the forthcoming No More Tears. Despite being three years out, there's a lot of familiarity in the sound.

With that said, I'd be remis to not mention the standout tracks here. For me, those encompass Miracle Man, Crazy Babies, Breaking All The Rules, and Fire In The Sky, the latter possibly being my favorite from the album. It changes based on my mood. However, that's not to say the rest isn't enjoyable. Devil's Daughter, Bloodbath In Paradise, Demon Alcohol, Tattooed Dancer are all decent tracks. I guess I would go so far as to say that No Rest For The Wicked might be a good one to have on vinyl.

CD and cassette releases got the bonus track, Hero, which isn't bad. If you managed to pick up the Japanese version, you'd net yourself an additional song, Liar. It's a decent bonus, but not necessarily one I would say is worth tracking a Japanese version down for.

This wraps up my Ozzy journey. I mean, I guess I could say you should listen to No More Tears (1991). That's an amazing album. Despite being touted as his retirement tour, before he came back for another thirty years, I'd even recommend 1993's Live & Loud. Things past that I can't say much about. I do own 1995's Ozzmosis, and think it's okay, but I've not heard anything past that. I'm considering checking them out though.

Click "HERE" to go back to the home page. For more posts related to this one, please click the labels below. 

Disclaimer: They Toy Box does not endorse or contribute to piracy. Retro Spins posts are intended for educational and entertainment purposes only. None of the music discussed here is available for sale, downloading or distribution.

THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS
October 27, 1984

 

Comics Corner: Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man 83

   

Title: Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man
Issue Number: 83
Release Date: October 1983

Highlights

• Black Cat sneaks out of her hospital again, and in doing so finds and helps a white cat that she keeps
• Captain DeWolff lets Spider-Man tag along and help bust up a counterfeit credit card operation
• After telling Spider-Man it's close to visiting hours at the hospital, Captain DeWolff thinks to herself that if Black Cat ever dumps Spider-Man that he should give her a call
• Reference is made to The Amazing Spider-Man 245
• Black Cat tells Spider-Man that when she's all better that she wants to work side by side with him
• Spider-Man leaves to go think about it, clearly not a fan of the idea - Mainly because of the danger it poses to Black Cat
• Punisher is coming up for his first court hearing since being recaptured
• A brief telling of how Frank Castle became the Punisher
• J. Jonah Jameson explains that Punisher used to be a good guy, but then went total vigilante, and expresses his concern if Spider-Man should do the same - We finally understand why Jameson hates Spider-Man - He's afraid he too will go rogue
• Peter Parker is sent to get photos of Punisher's trial, and Ben Urich is sent to get the story
• Punisher is deemed insane, and therefore won't stand trial - Instead, he'll be sent to a mental hospital
• Peter Parker worries if he'll one day snap mentally

Low Points

• None

Oddities

• Everyone, including the court keeps referring to him as "Punisher", and not by his name, Frank Castle, which he's been known as since his debut in The Amazing Spider-Man 129

Rating (based on a 1 through 5 Stans grading system)

Click "HERE" to go back to the home page. For more posts related to this one, please click the labels below.

Retro Spins: Ozzy Osbourne - Bark At The Moon

Picking up in my own personal Ozzfest, I come to 1983's Bark At The Moon. It's an album that as a teenager I remember no liking very much. As such, when it came time for this review, I felt it appropriate to listen to it again before putting my final thoughts down.

The album sees a change in musical styles for Ozzy with the inclusion of synthesizers. It adds a more synth-pop sound to the mix of the once straight up hard rock / heavy metal sound, but it works in moderation. It's also the first to feature guitarist Jake E. Lee, and drummer Tommy Aldridge. Oddly, recently fired bassist, Bob Daisley, would also return to the album.

Depending on the version you picked up, European, or USA, would determine what tracks you got, as well as the order they appeared. Slow Down, which was included on the USA release, was replaced by Spiders for the European edition. Additionally, Centre Of Eternity was renamed to Forever on the European release. Interestingly, when Ozzy refers to the song in concerts, he called it Forever. So, I'm going to lean to that being the actual title.

Bark At The Moon, much like its predecessor isn't exempt from drama, and also like it seems to be the result of Sharon Osbourne. Guitarist Jake E. Lee has stated in interviews how he was robbed of royalties after being presented a contract upon completion of the album by Sharon. She allegedly stated that the guitarist needed to sign the contract, forego all his credit on the album, and in return he'd be allowed to continue working with Ozzy. Without it, his work would be stripped from the album, and his parts re-recorded. Lee states he signed it because he had no legal representation, and felt that he'd be fired if he didn't comply.

Daisley's lyrics for Now You See It (Now You Don't), were a jab directly at Sharon, and the bassist has stated his surprise that it was included on the album. The opening lyrics, "Overbearing woman makin' it so hard for me," set the whole tone, and Daisley doesn't hold back.

Playing through Bark At The Moon is more favorable now than it's been in the past. While back in my teen years, I would have told you the only salvageable tracks were the title song, Slow Down, and on occasion, So Tired, I now have a better appreciation for it as a whole. It makes me wonder if the overly used synthesizers were perhaps a hang up for me during my more hard rock / metal days.

Its not a perfect album. There's songs I prefer over others. In fact, it's still the title track and Slow Down, but the rest aren't as bad as I remembered them. I do think this album would have gotten more playtime with me back in the day if I had the perspective I have now.

There's more going on my shuffle list as of today, You're No Different, Now You See It (Now You Don't), and Waiting For Darkness. Whether or not they will become among the skippable is yet to be determined.

From there, I close the book on Bark At The Moon, and will finish everything up tomorrow with 1988's No Rest For The Wicked. Stop by if you're feeling like it.

Click "HERE" to go back to the home page. For more posts related to this one, please click the labels below. 

Disclaimer: They Toy Box does not endorse or contribute to piracy. Retro Spins posts are intended for educational and entertainment purposes only. None of the music discussed here is available for sale, downloading or distribution.

THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS
October 26, 1985

Comics Corner: Marvel Team-Up 135

   

Title: Marvel Team-Up
Issue Number: 135
Release Date: November 1983

Highlights

• First appearance of Strigor, and Edward
• Spider-Man is knocked unconscious while trying to stop a robbery on the subway which leads to two trains colliding
• The Morlocks carry an unconscious Spider-Man away
• Kitty Pryde is babysitting two kids, Jeff and Edward, who are playing Sewers & Serpents
• The two kids sneak out after Kitty is asleep to play a real life game of Serwers & Serpents
• Edward is taken by the Morlocks, and when Jeff gets Kitty in an attempt to help, he too is taken
• Reference is made to The Uncanny X-Men 170
• The Morlocks say they're going to eat the two kids
• Jeff and Edward free Spider-Man from his electricity charged prison

Low Points

• None

Oddities

• None

Rating (based on a 1 through 5 Stans grading system)

Click "HERE" to go back to the home page. For more posts related to this one, please click the labels below.

Retro Spins: Ozzy Osbourne - Diary Of A Madman

Upon hearing of the death of Ozzy Osbourne I found myself admittedly sadder than I thought I would be. While I hadn't kept up with him since his 1995 Ozzmossis album, nor really paid much attention to his prior albums in quite some time, I still felt the impact of a world that would no longer have Ozzy in it.

This prompted me to go back through my albums, and in doing so, I realized that despite having listened to them numerous times, I'd never done a Retro Spin for the majority of them. I started back in 2021 with his 1980 debut, Blizzard Of Ozz, and then again in 2022 with 1986's The Ultimate Sin, and then simply moved on to other things. Well, over the next few days, I thought it would be appropriate to rectify that. So, if you'll excuse me while I deviate from Elton John (again), and dive into some of the Oz Man.

1981's Diary Of A Madman would be the beginning of numerous behind the scenes issues, all commencing with the coming of Sharon Osbourne as Ozzy's new manager. His wife took the position once held by her brother, and with it came a slew of problems and turmoil. While the most talked about was the death of guitarist Randy Rhoads on March 19, 1982, this was just the tip of the iceberg.

One such often uncited incident was with bassist Bob Daisley, and drummer, Lee Kerslake, who contributed to the majority of the music development and writing of the lyrics, even going so far as to produce their own demos, which were then utilized by Osbourne. However, the two were originally given no credit for their contributions, and were ultimately fired from the band shortly after the album's release. The two would later sue, and win royalties and be given noted credit in future releases.

Kerslake has also stated that during the recording of the album that band members were given no money to live off of. This prompted him and Daisely to complain to management, which is suspected as being the reason they were let go. While members were away on holiday, suddenly new drummer, Tommy Aldridge and bassist, Rudy Sarzo, and shortly thereafter, headed off to America.

Sharon was apparently so bitter with the two, that in 2002 she would see to the commission and re-release of Diary Of A Madman which removed the two's original contributions, and re-recorded them. This was met by fan outrage, and eventually a sticker was added to the cover to denote that the music was not the original format. Ozzy himself stated in his 2009 autobiography that he had nothing to do with the decisions made by Sharon to do this.

When the 30th anniversary edition was released in 2011, the original bass and drums were restored to the album. So clearer heads would prevail in the end.

As for my own personal opinions on the album, it's definitely solid. I'd say it probably ranks number three in my top three Ozzy albums from the 80's. First being The Ultimate Sin, and second being Blizzard Of Ozz.

Songs, Over The Mountain, Flying High Again, You Can't Kill Rock And Roll, Tonight, SATO, and Diary Of A Madman, are awesome, and frankly encompass all but two of the songs on the album. They're also staples on my shuffle list.

However, I'd be lying if I didn't admit that Ozzy has kind of run his course with me. Don't get me wrong. I like the music. It was a major part of my high school years. But, these days, it's simply not a go to anymore. Partly because it's been overplayed for me, and partly because I've moved on. Ozzy was a phase for me. One that dissipated rapidly when he became a television personality.

Regardless, I'm not going to diminish his contributions to music, and frankly if I'd seen him on the street I'd have still been like, "Wow! That's Ozzy Osbourne!" He had presence, he had the music, and he was one of the leaders of heavy metal way back when with Black Sabbath. His career spanned over fifty years, and he went out doing what he loved. Performing for the fans. What more of a legacy could you ask for?

Click "HERE" to go back to the home page. For more posts related to this one, please click the labels below. 

Disclaimer: They Toy Box does not endorse or contribute to piracy. Retro Spins posts are intended for educational and entertainment purposes only. None of the music discussed here is available for sale, downloading or distribution.

THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS
October 25, 1980

 

THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS
October 25, 1986

Comics Corner: Marvel Team-Up 134

   

Title: Marvel Team-Up
Issue Number: 134
Release Date: October 1983

Highlights

• The Jack Of Hearts escapes his imprisonment from his own home, kept their by S.H.I.E.L.D., and controlled by a neutro-mist
• Peter cleans out his locker, and leaves E.S.U.
• Jack Hart returns to E.S.U. looking for Marcy Kane, giving readers the story about when the two were there together, and fell in love, only for Jack to have to suddenly leave
• The Jack of Hearts' power is unstable, killing him in the process, and S.H.I.E.L.D. was trying to contain it by keeping him subdued with mist
• The Jack of Hearts concedes that S.H.I.E.L.D. needs to contain him, but Marcy Kane says she wants to try to help him

Low Points

• None

Oddities

• None

Rating (based on a 1 through 5 Stans grading system)

Click "HERE" to go back to the home page. For more posts related to this one, please click the labels below.

Retro Spins: Elton John - Ice On Fire

I debated taking a break from Elton John to dive into something a bit more obscure today. However, as I perused the short list of albums I'd written down to select from, the task just felt daunting, a bit like work. So, instead, I turned my attention back to John. Specifically, his 1985 released, Ice On Fire.

As he set to work on what would become his nineteenth studio album, John felt a desire to change his sound. This led to him firing the rhythm section of Dee Murray and Nigel Olsson, both of whom had performed on the preceding two albums. He turned his attention to multiple lineups consisting of session musicians, including Fred Mandel, David Paton, and Charlie Morgan, as well as guest appearances by Nik Kershaw, Sister Sledge, George Michael, and members of Queen, John Deacon and Roger Taylor.

The album marked a departure from pop rock, instead focusing on elements of soul and rhythm and blues music, while also exhibiting a contemporary 1980s sound, emphasizing synthesizers and electronic percussion. Lyrically, it focuses on themes of war, economic decline in working-class communities, and personal themes to both Bernie Taupin and Elton John.

Depending on the version you picked up, you may or may not have gotten a bonus track. While the LP contained ten tracks, both the cassette and CD versions included the Millie Jackson duet, Act Of War. Additionally, if you picked up the re-issue of the CD, the track, Satellite, has a runtime of 4:37, versus the original 3:57 version.

Okay, so with all the details out of the way, let's actually hit the play button, and be on our way through Ice On Fire.

This Town is a good start, but as a whole, thing taper off pretty quick for me. It's not that the album is bad, not by any means. It just lacks any real sound that made me as invested as I was in prior works.

Candidly, while Nikita may be a top ten Billboard hit, it's not one of my favorites. This is a bit ironic, because it's the song I initially bought the album for. However, this was more so to check a box, versus necessarily wanting it.

In review of the production credits, I think part of the problem may be too many people in the room. By this I mean, too many contributors. Between other established artists and session musicians, there were over thirty individuals contributing to the recording of songs. It would be difficult to have consistency in that environment. Especially if its your first time working with those individuals, or creative egos clash.

I don't particularly see someone like Roger Taylor coming into a studio, and simply playing drums. He strikes me as the type of person who would want creative control over what he was doing. Mind you, that's not a knock against the guy. He's certainly established himself as an artist who knows what he's doing, especially when it comes to writing and recording hits. I just don't see him taking that stance that he was there to work "for" Elton John.

Of course, all of those theories are just speculation on my part. Maybe the recording sessions went smoothly, and the final result was all Taupin's and John's creative vision. Regardless, the end result, for me, is that Ice On Fire falls a bit flat. By the time I reached the second to last track, I had kind of had enough, and skipped it midway. The final track started off slow, and I immediately lost interest, and turned it off.

Admittedly, I don't have high hopes for his next release, 1986's Leather Jackets. Though, that's not because of how I felt about Ice On Fire. Rather, it's from John himself stating he feels its his worst release in his entire career. From what I've read up on it already, critics were none to pleased with it either. That doesn't exactly scream, "must hear record" to me.

Well, I guess we'll see. I've favored albums before that people (including the artists) considered the worst. Who knows. Maybe it will be a pleasant surprise.

Click "HERE" to go back to the home page. For more posts related to this one, please click the labels below. 

Disclaimer: They Toy Box does not endorse or contribute to piracy. Retro Spins posts are intended for educational and entertainment purposes only. None of the music discussed here is available for sale, downloading or distribution.

THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS
October 24, 1981

 

THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS
October 24, 1987

Comics Corner: Marvel Team-Up Annual 6

   

Title: Marvel Team-Up Annual
Issue Number: 6
Release Date: October 1983

Highlights

• First appearance of the Holy Ghost Church
• Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man 64
• Cannonball, Psyche, Sunspot, and Wolfsbane, AKA the New Mutants, make their way to the city to enjoy the broadway show, Cats
• While visiting an arcade, the Mutants are attacked by random thugs
• Sunspot and Wolfsbane not only get wounded during the fight, but then are kidnapped by the people who created Cloak and Dagger
• The two captives are injected with the drug that made Cloak and Dagger, and it amplifies their mutant powers beyond their control
• Cloak and Dagger save Sunspot and Wolfsbane, absorbing the drugs from their bodies
• The New Mutants offer Cloak and Dagger an opportunity to come live with them at Xavier's mansion, but they decline

Low Points

• None

Oddities

• None

Rating (based on a 1 through 5 Stans grading system)

Click "HERE" to go back to the home page. For more posts related to this one, please click the labels below.

Comics Corner: The Amazing Spider-Man 245

   

Title: The Amazing Spider-Man
Issue Number: 245
Release Date: October 1983

Highlights

• First appearance of Ms. Smithers, and NYPD officer McReady
• Death of Lefty Donovan, who is disguised as Hobgoblin
• First appearance of the Mercy Medical Center location
• Reference is made to The Amazing Spider-Man 238, 239, 244, and The Avengers 235
• Lefty Donovan is severely burned in a chemical accident while mixing Green Goblin's old formula
• The burns leave Donovan unidentifiable, unable to speak, and lying in a hospital bed
• Peter and Betty see J. Jonah Jameson leaving with a gym bag, and are both baffled by his desire for physical fitness - It becomes relevant a few issues down the line
• Betty tricks Peter into having dinner with her, Ned, and Mary Jane, and Peter is none too happy about the latter being there
• Peter spends three weeks honing his photographer skills, and searching for Lefty Donovan
• Lefty escapes the hospital, and makes his way back to where the accident occurred to take up the mantle as Hobgoblin
• Spider-Man realizes that Lefty is just a pawn, and not the real Hobgoblin
• The real Hobgoblin locks Lefty's fee to the glider, and sends him exploding into the side of a building where he'll never be able to talk again
• Hobgoblin reveals he was only using Lefty to create the formula so that he could study him, the effects, and recreate the formula without the explosive side effects

Low Points

• None

Oddities

• None

Rating (based on a 1 through 5 Stans grading system)

Click "HERE" to go back to the home page. For more posts related to this one, please click the labels below.

Retro Spins: Elton John - Breaking Hearts

Off we go with our continued journey through Elton John's 1980's discography. Yesterday, I went on a very enjoyable trip through 1982's Jump Up!. Skipping over 1983's Too Low For Zero, because I've already played through it, I move on to 1984's Breaking Hearts.

Changes were either already taking effect, or just on the horizon when the album was put together. Gone were the string and horn sections on any track, as was long time unofficial member, Ray Cooper, who did not contribute at all.

Additionally, Breaking Hearts would be the last to feature all core members of the classic Elton John Band lineup. It was also the last recorded album in which John played both piano and keyboards in the studio by himself.

Restless launches the album off, and while it's okay, it certainly didn't draw me in as much as the opening track for Jump Up! Things did pick up a bit more though, with track two's Slow Down Georgie (She's Poison), Who Wears These Shoes.

However, the brakes got slammed pretty hard for the title track, Breaking Hearts (Ain't What It Used To Be). It's a dull piano led ballad that frankly brings the momentum which had been built to a sudden halt. Personally, if I were mixing this album, I would have either closed out side two with this track, or put it as the final track. It just doesn't work where its placed.

Fortunately, this isn't how the remainder of the album plays out, as the tempo immediately picks up with Li'l Frigerator, though its a rather forgettable tune. Passengers fairs a bit better for its more unique sound, but is by far anything I'd call lyrically genius.

Things get dull a bit from there, but oddly pick up with the peppy, but sadistic, Did He Shoot Her? before finishing off with the classic hit, Sad Songs (Say So Much). Overall, Breaking Hearts, while good, didn't hit the high notes that Jump Up! did.

With that, I'm off to my next Retro Spin. Maybe it will be the next of three remaining Elton John albums. Maybe I'll go on to something else. I guess we'll see tomorrow.

Click "HERE" to go back to the home page. For more posts related to this one, please click the labels below. 

Disclaimer: They Toy Box does not endorse or contribute to piracy. Retro Spins posts are intended for educational and entertainment purposes only. None of the music discussed here is available for sale, downloading or distribution.

THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS
October 27, 1982

 

Comics Corner: The Amazing Spider-Man 244

   

Title: The Amazing Spider-Man
Issue Number: 244
Release Date: September 1983

Highlights

• First appearance of Lefty Donovan, and Dean Krenshaw
• Liz (Allen) Osborn suggests to Mary Jane that she get married, and even goes so far as to tell her that she thought her and Peter made a cute couple
• Harry Osborn and his wife return to the office to find all the staff tied up and gagged
• Reference is made to The Amazing Spider-Man 239
• The name Lefty Donovan is dropped, and Spider-Man thinks it's the identity of Hobgoblin, but he's wrong
• Mary Jane is out on a date with "Jeff", and unconvincingly shrugs off being serious for a moment when she sees that the Osborn's office being hit as the headline on the Daily Bugle - Is she finally maturing?

Low Points

• None

Oddities

• None

Rating (based on a 1 through 5 Stans grading system)

Click "HERE" to go back to the home page. For more posts related to this one, please click the labels below.